Aquinnah

The first week of school has come and gone and we are all beginning to settle into our fall routines. For me this always means an aversion to working for more than a few hours at a time and an intense desire to socialize and then go home and sleep a lot. The fourth/fifth grade class of the Chilmark School spent last week on the schooner Alabama. They sailed to Provincetown, Boston, Marion, and back to the Vineyard. Everyone made it home in one piece and had many tales to tell of “deck washing”, “being underway”— which was always scary according to one child — and fishing. It sounded like a great trip for them. I’m not sure I would have wanted to be on a boat with 18 or so energetic pre-teens for an entire week, but that’s just me. It was obvious in seeing the kids when they came back that it opened their eyes to the world in a new way.

Adrianna Ignacio is keeping an eye on the weather to see when to schedule her big sale at “On the Cliffs.” It is usually the week leading up to Columbus Day weekend, I will keep you posted, I promise.

Just because it’s slowing down up Island and the weather is turning cooler doesn’t mean there aren’t still things happening. The Aquinnah Cultural Center is still open up at the Cliffs Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. This Friday and Saturday you can come in for a tour of the Vanderhoop Homestead that houses the Center. On Wednesday, September 25, there will be a demonstration on how to make cornhusk dolls, 11 am – 4 pm. Come and learn about traditional Wampanoag gardening and harvest time, while making a cornhusk doll to take home. There will also be a short film presentation on Wampanoag agriculture, from planting to harvest time. There is an $8 crafting fee. For more information, call 508-645-7900 or email aquinnahcc@gmail.com.

On September 20, The Vineyard Smiles program will be holding a dental clinic for seniors who do not have dental coverage. The registration form for this can be found at www.mvhealthcareaccess.org

If you need help with these forms feel free to call Julie Sierputoski 508-560-1468 of the Aquinnah board of health. This service is sponsored by the town of Aquinnah, through the Vineyard Nursing Association. The Vineyard Smiles dental assistant is Debbie Simon, who can be reached at 508-696-0020, ext.14.

The Aquinnah library is hosting story time on Thursdays at 3:30 pm, and craft time every Saturday from 12 noon to 3 pm. This Saturday the librarians are asking the kids of Aquinnah to help decorate the library for fall, and for help making a paper mural along the chalkboards in the children’s area. On Saturday the 28th, there will be a craft time devoted to paper airplanes.

The Tisbury Travel Club has a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston planned for Friday, November 1. The trip costs $48, which includes the museum ticket and roundtrip transportation. The special exhibits are only at the MFA for a short period of time and have garnered a lot of excitement. Call 508-696-4205 to register, Monday-Friday.

Congratulations to Jamie Spears-Vanderhoop and Woody Vanderhoop, who welcomed their second son at the start of September and named him Kuhpay Hayes Spears Vanderhoop. Kuhpay means forest in Wampanoag. He was eight pounds, 2.4 ounces at birth and he was born at 3:33 am on the third of September, apparently three is his lucky number. First son Sowanash seems to be accepting of the new family member.

Aquinnah is rifer with Vanderhoops than it usually is this week. David Vanderhoop’s daughter Carrie Ann is visiting with her daughter, Rosalie. Carrie Ann’s sister, Tiffany, returned to Aquinnah earlier this year with her three children. Their cousin Naushon is also here with her daughter, Nanawausauwe. And rounding it out is Buddy’s daughter Emily visiting with her son, Haoa. Buddy’s wife, Lisa has been all over the island selling her Vineyard Sea Dogs calendar and cards. You can get them at Cronig’s or on Lisa’s website, vineyardseadogs.com.